The present invention relates to a method for connecting in a liquid-tight manner the locking halves of a locking device of wall sections positioned within a suspension, a locking device for the use in connection with the inventive method, as well as a fusing or welding device for connecting the locking halves of the locking device.
A method of the aforementioned kind as well as a locking device are known from German Patent 36 37 298. The locking device is comprised of an inner profiled member and an outer profiled member which are connected respectively to a vertical longitudinal edge of a wall section of the multi-sectioned wall to be formed. After inserting the tubular inner connecting element (profiled member) into the outer tubular profiled member already positioned within the suspension in which the multi-sectioned wall is to be installed, a cutting device is inserted into the inner hollow space of the locking device which cutting device cuts over the length of the profiled members an inner groove which extends through the wall of the inner profiled member into the wall of the outer profiled member. Subsequently, a profiled piece for fusing that has been preheated to the fusing (welding) temperature is introduced into the inner groove and fused with the walls of the inner groove such that the inner and outer profiled members are connected to one another in a liquid-tight manner.
For fusing the profiled elements an extruder fusing (welding) device is known from German Patent 35 20 817 to which correspond U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,838,980 and 4,990,210. With this device a plasticized fusing material is introducted into the inner groove and is then fused to the groove walls in a liquid-tight manner. In practice it has been demonstrated that already shortly after the insertion of the inner profiled member the suspension in which the multi-sectioned wall is to be installed, respectively, the liquid of the suspension penetrates into the gap between the inner and outer profiled members and exits into the cut inner groove. The groove walls which are to be used as contact surfaces for the fusing step are thus soiled. A liquid-tight fusing connection can be achieved with soiled contact surfaces only with great difficulties, and under certain circumstances it is impossible to produce such a fused connection.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to improve the method of the aforementioned kind such that for the fusing operation the contact surfaces in the form of the walls of the groove are clean, dry, and free of any suspension for the fusing step. Furthermore, a locking device for the use with the inventive method as well as a fusing device for performing the method will be disclosed.